Are you managing a network inventory system or leading network operations at a telecom operator? If so, you could be unaware of the hidden costs embedded into your daily operations—costs arising from factors you may not have considered. 

The reality of many modern inventory systems

Many telecom operators use advanced, web-based, cloud-powered inventory systems. While these platforms excel in network management, they often lack sophisticated schematic and splicing visualizations—leading to increased operational costs.

What your inventory system likely provides

Telecom networks are among the most complex infrastructures in existence. Clear and comprehensive fiber network visualization—and at multiple levels of detail—offers insight into this complexity, giving operators a clear understanding of their network. 

Most inventory systems address this need by offering the following visualization features:

1. Geographical/GIS visualization of the network
2. Tree-like hierarchical lists representing relationships between assets (fiber, conduits, equipment, etc.)
3. Automatically generated high-level or single-line diagrams from a fiber trace (one branch) or for a distribution area
4. Automatically generated splicing and port diagrams for individual telecom equipment or splice closures, or reports in the form of splicing tables
5. Trace visualization on a map

While these features are valuable, they are not enough to eliminate hidden operational costs—costs that can be more significant than you realize.

Do you find yourself in one of these three scenarios?

Scenario #1: Using an inventory system but still creating schematics & splicing diagrams manually

Many telecom operators still create schematics and splicing drawings manually in tools like AutoCAD or MS Visio, despite having inventory systems in place. This approach introduces several critical inefficiencies:

• Manually creating and updating drawings is time-consuming and expensive.
• Manually updated schematics and splicing drawings are hard to keep current with an ever-evolving network, often falling weeks, months or even years beyond the as-built. Outdated network information is not trusted by teams and can even result in outage or security issues.
• Without the ability to easily match drawings with service information from the logical inventory system, provisioning and troubleshooting depend on skilled personnel to manually integrate drawings of physical network with logical network data in real time, sometimes purely on the basis of their institutional knowledge. This process increases the risk of errors and is a risk in an era of retiring professionals who carry that internal knowledge with them.
• Without automated schematic and splicing diagram generation, maintaining data quality and consistency within the system becomes a major challenge.

Scenario #2: Using an inventory system with key inventory data stored in manually updated splicing tables

Many operators use dedicated design and network planning software to generate network designs. These applications create splice tables automatically, often in the form of MS Excel spreadsheets, which form part of the work order for field crews. Once the network is built, these splice tables are updated to reflect changes and become the as-built record. However, since the inventory system does not support automated generation of schematics and splicing diagrams, operators continue to update these static reports during the network maintenance cycle. This approach leads to several issues:

• The splicing tables are often fragmented, with network information for one area spread across multiple tables or worksheets. Users must piece together the information manually, making the process inefficient and error-prone. Additionally, each table can be overwhelming on its own, especially since tables may contain thousands of fiber records, making it cumbersome to navigate.
• While the as-built data is imported into the inventory system after the network is built, ongoing updates are typically made to the splice tables, as they are more visually accessible and easier to work with than the inventory system, which lacks proper schematic and splicing capabilities. As a result, the expensive inventory system is severely underutilized.
• As in the first scenario, there is no ability to overlay service information from the logical inventory onto the splice tables, stored in Excel reports. This lack of integration negatively impacts both provisioning and troubleshooting, as engineers are unable to easily correlate physical network data with service-related information.

Scenario #3: Using an inventory system but relying on a legacy system for schematics and splice diagrams

In some cases, a legacy network inventory system is replaced with a modern one,  prioritized for its architecture, but which happens to offer inferior schematic and splice diagram capabilities. This may be because the legacy system was configured over many years to the requirements of the operator, or just that the operators were used to the legacy system’s approach.  As a result, the operators are forced to run both systems in parallel: the legacy system for schematic and splicing diagram generation, and the newer inventory system for all other functionalities. This dual-system approach leads to several challenges:

• Paying license fees and management costs for two parallel inventory systems multiplies operational expenses.
• Maintaining two separate data sources for the same network creates opportunities for data discrepancies and synchronization challenges. This increases the workload, introduces complexity, and raises the risk of data quality issues, which can impact network maintenance and operations.

Employees must be proficient in both systems, which reduces overall efficiency and increases the time and cost spent on training. Do these scenarios sound familiar? If so, these inefficiencies could be driving up your operational costs. The root cause across all three scenarios is the same: the inventory system is unable to generate schematics and splice diagrams for the fiber network according to required standards and quality. Whether you are creating drawings manually, managing splice tables, or relying on a legacy system to work around these limitations, the result is the same: escalated costs and prolonged time-to-market.

But it is possible to enhance legacy or modern inventory systems with advanced network visualization capabilities. Implementing a tool for automated schematic and splice diagram generation has never been easier! iNTERACTIVE SCHEMATICS™ integrates seamlessly with any inventory system, offering an unprecedented solution for eliminating these hidden costs, operational inefficiencies and documentation errors.

What users say about iNTERACTIVE SCHEMATICS™

• A user from the documentation department: "Initially, we were skeptical about an automation tool replacing our manually produced schematics and splicing diagrams. However, iNTERACTIVE SCHEMATICS™ has exceeded our expectations. Our documentation department now relies on these automatically-generated diagrams because of their accuracy and utility. The financial benefits have been substantial. For instance, out of an annual investment of EUR 10 million in network rollout, approximately 6% was previously allocated to creating as-built documentation, with EUR 0.4 million per year spent solely on the manual creation of schematics and splicing diagrams. The integration of iNTERACTIVE SCHEMATICS™ has significantly reduced these costs and freed up resources for other critical tasks.”
• A user from the provisioning department: "As a member of the provisioning department, this tool has completely transformed my workflow. Instead of manually searching through logical inventory for available ports and unoccupied fibers, I now have all the information I need with just one click. By overlaying the physical network with service data from the logical network database, I save valuable time each day and can make faster, more informed decisions."
• A user from the troubleshooting department: "The interactivity is a game-changer! With real-time schematic updates and fiber occupancy data, field technicians responsible for troubleshooting can prioritize repairs more effectively, especially in time-sensitive situations where SLAs are critical. This is vital for businesses, hospitals, banks, and even retail subscribers, as remote work has made reliable connectivity essential."

Ease of implementation

Implementing iNTERACTIVE SCHEMATICS™ is straightforward and user-friendly. With just 15-30 minutes of training, your team can will be proficient. 

Ready to unlock hidden savings?

Let’s discuss how you can reduce costs and improve operational efficiency. We offer a no-risk trial of iNTERACTIVE SCHEMATICS™.